A.06.B FACT SHEETS

Documents

Urban Coyotes: In Conflict or Coexistence?A Lunch and Learn Companion fACT Sheet
Edmonton is famous for its River Valley Park Systemâthe largest urban park in North America. However, this is prime coyote territory. Can we coexist?

The Canadian government estimates that the number of people over the age of 65 could double by 2040. Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are becoming seniors, and average life expectancy is increasing. While the average Canadian senior enjoys a life with better health and financial security as well as more activity than in previous generations, seniors are still at risk for chronic conditions, disabilities, or mental health issues. As families become smaller and separated by geography, the size and ease of accessibility for seniors’ support networks decrease.

This Fact Sheet highlights revenue and spending measures in the 2017 federal budget affecting Edmontonians with low and modest incomes. The federal budget applies to the fiscal year between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018, and forecasts for revenues and expenses for the following four fiscal years.

Budget 2017 covers the period from April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018 corresponding to the 2017-2018 fiscal year (FY). There are also revenue and spending projections for the following two fiscal years.This year’s budget is called Working to Make Life Better and forecasts a deficit of $10.3 billion. A contingency amount of $500 million is included to protect against lower than forecast oil prices or to provide funds to respond to unforeseen emergencies.

There are many reasons that cause romantic relationships may work or may fail. However, psychologists have identified communication as one of the main causes for successes or break downs in relationships. This fACT Sheet explores research by Dr. John Gottman.

The Early Development Instrument measured the development of Albertan kindergartners over a period of five years. How are Albertan kids doing?

From 2009–2013, the Government of Alberta ran a research study on early childhood development. They used the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a standardized method to measure the development of five-year-old-children. Kindergarten teachers filled out questionnaires about the development of each child in their classrooms in order to report on children’s social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development.

What is minimum wage? Who works at minimum wage? What effect does a raise in minimum wage have on employers? Employees? What's up with the magic number of $15/h? And, what's the difference between a living wage and a minimum wage? All this and more in our latest fACT Sheet!

Budget 2016 covers the period from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 corresponding to the 2016-17 fiscal year (FY). There are revenue and spending projections for the following two fiscal years. This year’s budget is called The Alberta Jobs Plan.

Budget 2016 forecasts a deficit of $10.4 billion. A contingency of $700 million is included in case oil prices keep declining or unforeseen emergencies require extra spending. The large deficit is due to a further drop in energy prices. The oil price underpinning this year’s budget has been reduced from $62US per barrel last October to $42US per barrel in Budget 2016. Low energy prices are causing job losses that in turn result in lower revenues from corporate and personal income taxes. The forecast deficit is a record in dollar terms; as a percentage of the overall budget, the deficit is still less than that of budgets in the mid-1980s when there was a similar dramatic decline in energy prices.

With new technology, we have the ability to access and use large amounts of data and information on many different platforms. Now we’re using that ability to tell a story about Edmonton.

This fact sheet explains what open data means, how the City of Edmonton is using it, and two of our presenter Matthew Dance's projects.

We're proud to spread awareness of the Aboriginal Edmonton dataset, which names FNMI places, describes their locations in terms of official place names, and details the origins of their names. You can access this at Edmonton's open data portal.

And, with Matthew, we're inviting you to participate in the Naming Edmonton initiative. For more on that, visit namingedmonton.com.

The federal budget applies to the fiscal year between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017, and forecasts for revenues and expenses for the following four fiscal years. The 2016 federal budget forecasts a shortfall (deficit) of $29.4 billion in the 2016-17 fiscal year, with a gradual decline to a $14.3 billion deficit in 2020-21.

The Legislative Standing Committee on Families and Communities has requested input on the changes to the Mental Health Act from 2007. These changes are known as the Mental Health Amendment Act, 2007.

The two main changes under review are “criteria for involuntary admission of persons with mental disorders to health care facilities” and “the use of community treatment orders for persons requiring ongoing mental health services” (Mental Health Amendment Act, 2007).

This fACT sheet will provide you with information about these changes, as well as the state of mental health in Alberta.

To share your comments about the act, send a written submission by February 29, 2016, to the Standing Committee on Families and Communities:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Budget 2015 covers the period from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 corresponding to the 2015-16 fiscal year (FY). Due to the change in government on May 5, this budget replaces the March 2015 budget that was tabled but never passed by the previous government. In this Fact Sheet, Budget 2015 refers to the current budget introduced on October 27, 2015.

Budget 2015 forecasts a deficit of $6.1 billion, an increase of $1.1 billion from March. The larger deficit is due to several factors: reversing Conservative cuts to people services to cover inflation and population growth, a further drop in energy prices below levels forecast in March, and additional costs for forest fires and crop losses due to the summer drought. While the forecast deficit is a record in dollar terms, as a percentage of the overall budget, it is less than half that of budgets in the mid-1980s when there was a similar dramatic decline in energy prices.

Literacy has been broadly defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as “understanding, evaluating, using and engaging with written texts to participate in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential”. In addition, literacy also involves numeracy, defined by the OECD as “the ability to engage with mathematical information in order to manage the mathematical demands of a range of situations in everyday life.” Low levels of literacy reduce a person’s ability to carry out basic daily activities. For example, this may mean the inability to work, use public transportation or understand important documents necessary to receive medical or social services. Providing all Canadians with meaningful opportunities to develop and sustain quality literary skills will result in stronger communities bolstered by active participation in economic, employment, health, and social systems.

The first farmers’ market in Alberta was established in Edmonton in 1903. A number of markets in other locations began to emerge throughout during the next four decades. Following WWII, when many people moved away from rural areas towards urban centres, food increasingly was purchased from supermarkets and less directly from farmers and producers. Farmers’ markets began to re-appear in the 1970s but there was a lack of consistency with how each was set up and operated. In Alberta, there are now two different types of markets—Alberta approved farmers’ markets and public markets. Both types of markets involve a gathering of vendors who sell their products directly to consumers. The difference lies in the ownership/management of the market and the privileges accorded to each type of market.

The United Nations defines food security as existing “when all people at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” Alberta Food Matters defines food security as “the condition in which all people at all times can acquire safe, nutritionally adequate, and personally acceptable foods in a manner that maintains human dignity.”

“… despite Canada’s economic recovery, the number of Canadians facing food insecurity – inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraints – is not abating. In fact, the problem has persisted or grown in every province and territory since 2005, with 2012 rates in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories reaching their highest observed since Health Canada began monitoring the problem.” – Naomi Dachner, co-author of Household Food Insecurity in Canada.

Food Bank Use in Edmonton

Edmonton’s Food Bank works with more than 200 community agencies and serves more than 13,000 people each month through its hamper program. In addition, more than 350,000 meals and snacks are provided each month through affiliated agencies.

We have released our annual analysis of the Government of Alberta's 2014 Budget.

Budget 2014 covers the time period from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015 (2014-15) fiscal year (FY). Budget 2014 estimates an operational surplus of $2.6 billion, and a consolidated surplus of $1.1 billion when capital spending and net savings are included. The government’s revenue picture has brightened considerably since last year’s budget due to higher than expected energy prices and a lower Canadian dollar. As a result, operational spending will increase next year though by less than inflation and population growth. In this fACT sheet, next year refers to the 2014-15 FY and this year refers to the current 2013-14 FY.

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Resource and Support Links

The Resource and Support links will take you to a selection of weblinks related to a variety of research topic, support systems, and agencies, as well as a list of some of the best resources in our library for each topic.

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